Brazil

Judge Blocks Zipline on Rio's Sugarloaf Mountain

Is the Sugarloaf zipline a reckless assault on a UNESCO treasure or a world-class attraction unfairly blocked?

Published APR 1

Judge Blocks Zipline on Rio's Sugarloaf Mountain

Story

Above: View of Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, from Sugarloaf Mountain on April 30, 2022. Image credit: Realy Easy Star/Res/Mondadori Portfolio/Getty Images

The Facts

A Brazilian federal judge blocked plans to build a zipline on Rio de Janeiro's Sugarloaf Mountain, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2012 that draws more than 1.6 million visitors annually.
BBC News
INQUIRER.net
The proposed attraction, developed by Companhia Caminho Aereo Pao de Acucar, would have connected Sugarloaf Mountain — standing 396 meters (1,299 feet) above sea level — to neighboring Urca Hill via four ziplines spanning 755 meters, reaching speeds of nearly 100 km/h (62 mph).
Mongabay India
Terradaily
Construction began in September 2022, and the project received approval from both Rio City Council and Brazil's National Historical and Artistic Heritage Institute (IPHAN), though opponents argued excavation of the mountain's rock would cause irreparable damage.
EL PAÍS English
Travel Tomorrow
Judge Paulo Andre Manfredini declared IPHAN's administrative actions null and void, citing "insufficient justification" for the construction and a lack of broad public debate, and ordered IPHAN and the developer to pay 30 million reais (approximately $5.7 million) in damages.
The St Kitts Nevis Observer
INQUIRER.net
Environmentalists warned the zipline would disturb nesting birds and wildlife across the 91.5 hectares of Atlantic Forest covering Sugarloaf and Urca Hill, while the developer maintained that sound tests showed noise from riders would not be perceptible in the surroundings.
The St Kitts Nevis Observer
Mongabay India
Activist Gricel Osorio Hor-Meyll of the Ecological Action Group called the ruling "a huge victory," while the developer — whose project was reported to be 95% complete — is expected to appeal the decision.
BBC News
Terradaily

Sources Split

LEFT

CENTER

RIGHT

ESTAB
CRIT

CENTER

PRO
ESTAB

The Spin

Narrative A

Building a zipline on Sugarloaf Mountain — a UNESCO World Heritage site — is a reckless cash grab that sacrifices irreplaceable nature for profit. Drilling into a 560-million-year-old protected monument without proper environmental impact reports is inexcusable, and the noise from screaming riders will devastate nesting birds and wildlife. The court was right to block it and demand $5.77 million in damages.

Mongabay India

Narrative B

The Sugarloaf zipline is a world-class attraction that earned approval from both the Rio City Council and IPHAN, and was 95% complete before activists derailed it. Excavation was deliberately minimized by using existing construction areas, making environmental objections overblown. Blocking a fully sanctioned project that would bring millions of visitors a breathtaking new way to experience Rio is a serious mistake.